Flexible hanger for electric lamp socket

ABSTRACT

A flexible hanger for hanging an electric lamp socket on a house eave trough, the latter having an upstanding generally vertical edge flange, a horizontal web extending laterally therefrom, and a second generally vertical flange depending from the web and spaced apart from the first flange. The flexible hanger consists of two arms which partially surround and resiliently clasp an electric lamp socket. A hanger hook extends from the arms and is adapted to overlie the web and two flanges of the eave trough. The hook includes an inward extension which locks under the eave trough second flange and serves to securely retain the hanger in place on the eave trough.

United States Patent [72] Inventor John H. Baird 137 Rlchland Crescent Borough of Etobicoke, Metropolitan Tomato, Ontario, Canada [21] Appl. No. 783,282

[22] Filed Dec. 12,1969

[45] Patented Junel5,l971

[54] FLEXIBLE HANGER FOR ELECTRIC LAMP Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner-Russell E. Adams, Jr. Attorneyllofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord ABSTRACT: A flexible hanger for hanging an electric lamp socket on a house eave trough, the latter having an upstanding generally vertical edge flange, a horizontal web extending laterally therefrom, and asecond generally vertical flange depending from the web and spaced apart from the first flange. The flexible hanger consists of two arms which partially surround and resiliently clasp an electric lamp socket. A hanger hook extends from the arms and is adapted to overlie the web and two flanges of the cave trough. The hook includes an inward extension which locks under the cave trough second flange and serves to securely retain the hanger in place on the cave trough.

PATENTEU JUN] 51971 "iii" 26 FIG. 5

FLEXIBLE HANGER FOR ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION of which may be used to support the wiring and sockets of Christmas ornamental lighting circuits around roof eave troughs of houses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hanger for an electric lamp socket which may be interlocked with the upstanding edge flange of a roof eave trough, without the use of a nail, screw or such like fastener, and which may be applied or detached with facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hanger as above defined embodying a hook adapted to overlie and contact an upstanding edge flange of an eave trough, in such manner that a plurality of applied hangers will remain in approximately the spaced relation in which they are attached, and will not freely slip or slide one towards the other,

An additional object of the invention is to provide a hanger embodying flexible clamping arms adapted to partially circumferentially surround and resiliently grip and hold an electric lamp socket, which flexible clamping arms are adapted to accommodate a wide range of socket shapes and sizes such as are ordinarily used for supporting ornamental electric lamps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a composite view showing the flexible clamp hanger applied to the upstanding edge flange of a conventional-type roof eave trough, and an electric lamp socket in clamped position in the hanger;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the hanger with an electric lamp socket in the clamped position shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top planview of the hanger, without the electric lamp socket; v

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the hanger as viewed in the direction of the open end clamping arms thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of the flexible clamp hanger on the line 5 5 ofFIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. I, the numeral designates a roof eave trough of conventional type usually embodied in residential house construction, which trough includes an upstanding edge flange 11, horizontal web 12 and the depending flange 13 which terminates in the flange edge 14. The flexible clamp hanger constituting this invention is generally designated by the numeral 15 and is shown in interlocked relationship with the aforesaid eave trough flange. A plurality of such hangers may be applied to an eave trough flange in relative spaced relation to support a string of ornamental electric lights generally exemplified by the outdoor type plastic electric lamp socket I6, lamp l7 and circuit cable 18. Wherever the context so permits, the term eave trough flange" may be deemed to include the aforesaid flange areas, parts or components specifically designated by the reference numerals II to 14 inclusive.

The hanger generally designated by the numeral I5 may be in the form of a light gauge sheet spring steel stamping, cornprising a hook shank 19, a web perpendicular to the said shank 19, a leg 21 depending from the said web 20, and a toe 22 underlying the said web 20 and extending towards the said shank I 9, all in the unitary formation of a hook which is adapted to overlie and contact the aforesaid eave trough flange.

Two clamp arms, each generally designated by the numeral 23, extend in right-angular relationship to and from the hook shank l9, and combinatively therewith form a flexible U- shaped clamp. To attain maximum flexibility and clamping value, the arms 23 shall preferably be in the curvilinear shape shown in FIG. 3, with the lower edges 24 flared slightly outwardly in relation to the top edges 25 thereof, so as to generally conform with a frustrum-shaped electric lamp socket. The end 26 of each arm is flared outwardly, as is shown in FIG. 3, to facilitate insertion of an electric lamp socket between the said arms. The arms 23 are in part flexibly expandable or outwardly extendable to accommodate a wide range of socket sizes, such as from the shape shown in FIG. 3 to the shape shown in FIG. 2, which latter view shows the said arms in electric lamp socket clamping, gripping and holding position. A boss or protuberance 27 extends from the hook shank 19 between the arms 23 and serves to limit movement of the electric lamp socket 16 towards the hook shank 19, if the said socket is gripped between the confronting curved areas of the said arms.

Decorative or ornamental electric lamp sockets and cable assemblies are commonly manufactured and sold in units embodying about eight or 10 lamp outlets, and it is the general purpose of this invention to provide a very simple hanger which may be snapped on to each socket and in turn hooked over the upstanding edge flange of an eave trough, after which the sockets and lamps may be shifted along the cave trough flange into appropriate spaced relationship. As is shown in FIG. 1, the hanger shank 19 may extend parallel to the eave trough upstanding flange 11; the web 20 of the hanger overlies the web 12 of the cave trough; the leg 21 of the hanger extends downwardly and inwardly of the eave trough depending flange l3; and the toe 22 of the hanger underlies the edge 14 of the cave trough flange 13. The proportion and formation of the aforesaid parts of the shank hook should be such that the hanger may interlock with the eave trough flange by first holding same by hand with the shank l9 overlying the web 12 at an angle of about and then by shifting the hanger outwardly so that the toe 22 thereof moves under the edge 14 of the flange 13, following which the hanger may then be tilted downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 1. The space between the end of the toe 22 and the confronting shank 19 should be slightly greater than the vertical height between the edge 14 of the flange 13 to the top of the web 12.

The interlocking engagement of the hanger 15 with the eave trough flange is such that the hangers 15 may be applied to or removed from the eave trough, with or without the lamp socket 16. After application of a plurality of hangers 15 to which electric lamp sockets and cable assemblies have been applied, the lamps and the sockets may be freely adjusted endwise of the eave trough 10 to achieve desirable spacings, but when adjusted will remain in such position and the circuit cable 18 extending from socket to socket will have limited downward deflection, for the reason that the weight of the said cable causes a socket to tilt slightly laterally and the extent of tilting is restricted by the toe 22 which is, accordingly, canted until one end or corner of same contacts the edge 14 of the eave trough. The lamp socket 16 should be inserted between the arms 23 of the hanger, as is shown in FIG. I, with the circuit cable I8 overlying the top edges 25 of the arms 23. By this arrangement, the cable 18, hearing against the tops of the said arms, prevents the sockets from slipping downwardly between the said arms.

It has been determined experimentally and under use application that the curvilinear formation of the arms 23 will accommodate a wide range of socket sizes and shapes usually found in ornamental lamp sockets of the type specified, and that sockets may be inserted between or removed from the arms 23 with facility. It is desirable that the arms 23 be so shaped that a socket 16 is held substantially perpendicular to the arms,as is shown in FIG. 1. I 1' I Icla y, .7

l. A one-piece flexible clamp hanger for an electric lamp socket in the form of a metal stamping of sheet spring steel including a shank adapted to lie flush with the front flange of a roof eave trough, a pair of spaced apart flexible curved arms integral with and extending from said shank and upwardly and inwardly inclined to partially eircumferentially surround and resiliently embrace an electric lamp socket, and a hanger hook integral with said shank including a web perpendicular to the shank and a leg downturned from the web whereby the web and leg can be hooked onto the roof eave trough, and a toe ex- 

1. A one-piece flexible clamp hanger for an electric lamp socket in the form of a metal stamping of sheet spring steel including a shank adapted to lie flush with the front flange of a roof eave trough, a pair of spaced-apart flexible curved arms integral with and extending from said shank and upwardly and inwardly inclined to partially circumferentially surround and resiliently embrace an electric lamp socket, and a hanger hook integral with said shank including a web perpendicular to the shank and a leg downturned from the web whereby the web and leg can be hooked onto the roof eave trough, and a toe extending inwardly from said leg to lock under an inwardly disposed downwardly depending flange of the roof eave trough.
 2. A flexible hanger for an electric lamp socket including two lamp socket supporting arms, a shank extending upwardly from at least one of the said arms, a web extending laterally from the said shank, a leg extending downwardly from the said web, and a lateral extension on the said leg in the form of a toe lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the shank and directed inwardly towards the said shank. 